Radiator-shutter control



Nov. 13,1928.

- F. w. MILLER RADIATOR SHUTTER CONTROL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 8, 19

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u 17 1s 1 I INVETH'OR ATTORNEV Nov. 13, 1928. 1,691,580

F. w. MILLER RADIATOR SHUTTER CONTROL Fil ed Feb. 8, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 13, 1928;

UNITE? fiTATEs PATENT ewe- FBEDERICK WILLIAM MILLER, F HOCKLEY HEATH, ENGLAND.

mmAroa-sn rrae comm Application filed February 8, 1928, Serial No. 25?,734, and in Great Britain January 19, 1927 This invention relates to means for controlling the openingand "closing of airshutters employed in connection with the water-cooling radiators oi'rnotor-vehicle and ther i t rna mbustionmig 'es The object of L the present invention is to provide ,an improved and simpl fiedther- Y mostatic shutter-controlling device which efficient and reliable in oper ation, is simple'in construction, and admits of be ng read l applied and fittedto a radiator.'

According toith e invention, the thermo static shutter-controlling device comprises one or more thermostatic elements composed of bi-metallic strips or platesmounted upon or adjacent to, thelradiator or icooling water container so as to lie and move 'a'pl'aneparallel to the SaldladliltQI or coolmgwater container, and with tl ejfree end: or ends connected. to the shutter operating'means. 1 veniently the said thermostatic elements m'ay be mounted above the' t opfofthe shutteradjacent the upper part or the radi'ator wi'th their free ends coupled to a lever' connected to the radiator, shutter. The lever may be of the double-arm type, andftwo thermostatic elements may be employedactingjon opposite arms ofthe lever, in jorderfthat'both shall assist turning thejlever in thejsame direction.

To prevent any shutterj when the water cools, an auxiliary thermostatic evise jinayibe employed which ,may be arranged to move, on cooling,' at' a quicker rate or to a greater iextentjthani the main thermostat ortherinostats. Thisauxiliary thermostat may be arranged fso'fthat when the temperature ofthe wateririse's it has no effect onthe opening of the shutter,

and only acts onthe' latter when the water cools, in order to assist in'theclosing 'of the shutter.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a front elevation of a inotor 'car radiator shutter and thermostatic Control devicehn accordance with this invention, tlie shutter' being closed and the cover plate of the thermostatchamber being removed.

Figure .2is ahorizontal section on line 22, Figure 1, showinglt he cover plate in position.

lag the closing of the inou ntedin a1 rectangular frame Qsecured by any suitable means 'to the front of the r amater. The louvres 1 are conveniently "opjer'at'ed by aivertieally-sliding bar 3 (see Fig-' 'ure 5) atone side, said bar having slots' inits edge engaging pins onjthe louv'res. :Fixe'dto the top' of the shutter frame 2,330 "as to'form a unit therewith, isan open frame 6,fdisposedin front of the head or top chamber :Qf the radiator, and adapted to, be cIosed at'thefrontvby' a detachable cover plate? Figures Q, 3 and 5). A closed" chamber is thu's'formed within the top' fram'e'fi' when the divice is attached to the radiator, and

"withirifthis chamber'the thermostatic control elementsiare placed These elements comfprisetwo main thermostatsB, 9', and an auxiliary shutter-closing thermostat 10, each re itting of a bi-metallic strip bent to a bowor other suitable shape and fixed atone end, at 11, 12,13 respectively,"to the bottom ofthe top trams 6. The two main thermo- "stat's'B, 9, aremade ofcomparatively thick metal and are disposed back-t0back parallel and "close tothe front of the radiator.

QThes eftwo'thermostats are arrangedto act in' opposite directions, that is to say, the one thermostat 8 expands whereas the other 9 c'ontra'ctswhen he'at'edf Their free ends are provided with slotted 1 514., 15, which en- "ga ge pins 16,17, on the opposite arms of a horizontally-disposed two-armed lever 18 's ituatedfin ffro'nt of the thermostats and pivoted at 19 to a bracket 20 on the" bottom 'of the closed chamber? 1 The u per end of thevertical shutter-operating bar 3 extends into the thermostat chamberand carries a bracket 21 provided witha forwardly-proi jecting pin 22 which engages a slot 23' in one end of the lever. the'engine is cool theshutter, louvres are closed (as shown in Figures 1 and 3) ,but as the temperature rises the one'thermostat 8 expands and the other 9 contracts, their free ends acting on the lever 18 in order to lower the louvreoperating bar 3, thus opening the louvres, (as shown in Figures 4: and 5). 7

WV hen the engine cools the main thermostats 8, 9, return to their normal condition and close the shutters, but to avoid any un due delay or lag in this closing operation,

due to the thick main thermostats retaining their heat, the auxiliary thermostat 10 is pro vided. This thermostat is arranged to con tract as the temperature rises, but it is made of thinner metal than the main thermostats, thereby being more sensitive and expanding and contracting at a greater rate or to a greater extent than the said main thermostats; and being made of thinner material it does not retain its heat so long when the engine cools, The free outer end of this auxiliary thermostat carries a lug 24 arranged below the lower'edge of the lever, so that as it contracts on warming up, the thermostat has no influence on the lever 18, but when the thermostat expands on cooling the lug 24 bears on the underside of the lever and assists to close the shutter and obviates any lag in the return of the main thermostats to their normal condition. In place of the auxiliary thermostat 10 a spring could be used for assisting the closing of the shutter,

but in this case the main thermostats would have to be made more powerful in order to overcome the action of the spring when opening the shutter, T

If desired, the shutter may be operated from both sides, another vertical bar similar to bar 3 being employed and connected to the opposite end of the lever, the pins on the louvres, however, being in front of the pivots, so that the upward movement of the bar tends to open the louvres.

Instead of the thermostats being mounted at the front of the radiator, they may be disposed at the back thereof and suitably connected to the shutter operating means.

Having fully described my invention what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination with an air-shutter for a radiator in the cooling-water circuit of an internal combustion engine, of a two-arm lever operatively connected to the air-shut- I ter, and two' thermostatic shutter-controlling devices each consistingof a bi-metallic heat-sensitive and deflecting member mounty ed ad acent to a water container in the said coolingwater circuit so as to lie and move in a plane parallel to the said conta1ner,the said thermostatic devlces acting n unison on opposite arms of the said lever.

v 2, The combination with an air-shutter for a radiator in the cooling-water circuit of an internal-combustion engine, of a twoa med lever operatively connected to the airshutter, and two thermostatic shutter-com trolling devices each consisting of a bi-metallic heat-sensitive and deflecting member mounted adjacent to a face of the radiator head so as to lie and move in a plane parallel to the said face of the radiator head, the said thermostatic devices acting in unison on opposite arms of thesaid lever.

3, The combination with an air-shutter for a radiator'in the cooling-water circuit of an internal combustion engine, of a lever operatively connected to the air-shutter, a main 7 for a radiator in the cooling-water circuit of an internal combustion engine, of alever operatively connected to the air-shutter, a main thermostatic shutter-controlling device consisting of a bi-metallic heat-sensitive and deflecting member mounted'adjacentto a face of the radiator head so as to lie and move in a plane parallel to the said face of the radiator head, the said bi-metallic member having a free end acting upon the lever, and an auxiliary thermostat adapted to act upon the lever inorder to assist the main thermostat to close the'air-shutter when the engine cools, the said auxiliarythermostat having no effect on the shutter when the temperature rises.

5, The combination with an air-shutter for a radiator in the cooling-water circuit of an internal-combustion engine, of a main thermostat operatively connected to the shutter and an auxiliary thermostat operatively connected to the shutter but acting only to assist'the main thermostat in the closing of the shutter, I

6. A control mechanism for the air-shutter of a radiator including a lever pivoted intermediatewits ends and operatively connected to the air-shutter, and thermostatic devices connected to said lever on oppositesides of its pivot and acting in unison to movethe lever to thereby operate the air-shutter 7. A control mechanism for the air-shutter of a radiator, including a lever operatively shutter, and an auxiliary thermostatic'device also connected to said lever to aid the main ilOU thermostatic device in closing said airshutter.

8. A control mechanism for the air-shutter of a radiator, including a lever operatively joined to the air-shutter, a main thermostatic device connected to said lever and operable'to move the same to open and close said airshutter, and an auxiliary thermostatic device also connected to said lever to'aid themain thermostatic device in closing said airshutter the movement of the lever to open said air-shutter being unaffected by said auxiliary thermostatic device.

9. A control mechanism for the air-shutter of a radiator, including an air-shutter act-uating member, thermostatic means for operating said member to open and close the air-shutter, and means effective only during the closingof said air-shutter to hasten the operation of said actuating member.

10. A control mechanism for the air shutter of a radiator including an actuating member for the air shutter, t-Wo thermostatic devices differently and simultaneously affected by changes in temperature for operating said actuating member to close and open said air shutter, and means effective only during the closing oi said air shutter to hasten the operation of said actuating member,

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

FREDERIOK WILLIAM MILLER. 

